In Helldivers 2, the R-36 Eruptor Explosive Rifle is the second primary weapon players can buy from the Democratic Demolition Warbond. Many consider it a major step up from the Adjudicator Marksman rifle from the first page for its utility and high single-target damage.
This guide will tell you all the good and the bad about the new Helldivers 2 Eruptor rifle after using the weapon on both the Terminid and Automaton fronts. But if you’re looking for a short answer to whether or not to spend your precious medals on it, all I can say is that it is worth every medal invested and then some.
How to get the Eruptor Rifle in Helldivers 2
The R-36 Eruptor rifle is purchased as part of the Democratic Demolition Warbond. The weapon is located on the second page and can be bought after spending enough medals to unlock the second page. Players need to pay 60 medals to unlock this premium warbond.
Helldivers 2 Eruptor Explosive Rifle Stats
The Eruptor Rifle fires jet-assisted shells that deal an impressive 380 damage on a direct hit. It has a 5-round magazine but you can technically increase it to 6 if you reload with one round inside the chamber. The recoil is practically a non-factor since it shoots a single round before having to cycle in another round. The bolt action rifle has a firing rate of 25 rounds per minute.
You have a maximum of 12 magazines in reserve meaning you can potentially have as many as 65 shots before needing to replenish your reserves.
Regarding options, the Eruptor rifle’s scope can be adjusted for 50 meters, 100 meters, and 250 meters. It should be noted that the explosive shells fired from the weapon explode after reaching that roughly 250-meter range. As much as I would like to call this a primary sniper rifle, it does reach those extreme ranges.
In some ways, it is even better than the Anti-Material Rifle after you’ve estimated for bullet drop. Because the hitbox of the rounds is larger, they tend to hit targets that would otherwise miss when using the Anti-Material Rifle. However, the Anti-Material can hit shots at extreme ranges, something that the Eruptor cannot possibly do right now.
It takes a few seconds to cycle to the next round after pulling the trigger. One of the things I recommend players do when using the Eruptor is immediately swapping to your secondary or heavy weapon after pulling the trigger. This saves you a fraction of the time it takes to cycle to the next bullet and ensures you are ready to counter anything right on top of you.
I recommend pairing it with the Stalwart to deal with large groups of unarmored enemies. The splash damage from one shot to the ground can kill upwards of five Scavengers at once. However, I highly caution against shooting this gun at enemies at close range as the explosive damage is nearly enough to kill you if caught in the blast. In some cases, it may outright kill you.
One of the things I noticed about the weapon is that there is very little in terms of bullet drop-off. Of course, there’s always the Helldivers brand of gun sway but I can say that you don’t have to worry too much about adjusting for distance with this gun. With that being said, you will have to factor in bullet travel time, especially at long range. You’ll have to lead your shots for most targets unless they are stationary.
Eruptor Rifle Notable Interactions
With a well-placed shot, you can destroy bug nests and Automaton factories. Just make sure it is dead center on the weak spot. At least you’ll have plenty of chances to make up for mistakes. Because of this, you can consider bringing support grenades instead. Smoke and stun grenades are great but the need for something to destroy spawn points always necessitates explosive grenades. That won’t be an issue if you have the Eruptor Rifle as your primary weapon.
You can also blow up fences and cargo containers with relative ease. One of the most annoying things about the game is that you need explosives to get through fences.
With enough practice, you can take down close nit groups of Shriekers as the splash damage deals enough damage to kill a flyer. Unfortunately, you cannot destroy a Shrieker Nest solely through explosive shells. It would take more than a few magazines to destroy one Shrieker nest if it was possible. And with that firing rate, you’ll be spending way too much time.
The splash damage can kill multiple Scout Striders if they clumped up together. It’s so consistent that you can shoot at the ground they are standing on, or the visor, and it will still produce the same results. For larger enemies, shots to the cooling coils will cause huge damage to the target.
I don’t recommend casually shooting gunships with the Eruptor. Gunships may have a short window in which you can take shots after a rocket burst, you’ll have to factor in travel time against an armored flying target. It’s hard enough to do with the Anti-Material Rifle and even harder to pull off consistently with the Eruptor.
The Eruptor is a great addition to the Helldiver arsenal. It won’t replace the Autocannon anytime soon due to its cumbersome nature. But short of that, you can rely on it to effectively take down anything lightly armored. It is the best weapon in the Democratic Detonation Warbond by a country mile. If you haven’t picked it up now, you should seriously consider buying the Warbond just for that gun.